I've got a deliciously warming, comforting recipe for you this week. For anyone who struggles with weekly meal prep, this one is for you! My Easy Vegetable Stew is exactly as it sounds: easy, hearty and healthy. Easy because it's a one-pot recipe that takes less than 45 minutes to make. Hearty because it's full of protein-rich red lentils and potatoes to keep you full. And healthy, because this stew is totally packed full of nutritious winter vegetables such as leafy greens, carrots and onions.
It's the perfect recipe for your weekly meal prep because you can just spoon a portion out into tupperware and take it to work for lunch (it heats well in a microwave). Plus you'll only have to wash up one pan, which is always a bonus for me. 🙂
This stew recipe has been in our family for years. I remember my mum making it for my sister and I as children (though she called it the much-less-delicious-sounding 'Lentil Mush' back then!), and loving its comforting warmth even back then. Today, I've updated it and tweaked ingredients slightly to create my own version that I love and make on a weekly basis. I've had so many requests for easy weeknight meals and vegan batch cooking, so I hope you love making this Easy Vegetable Stew as much as I do!
Easy Vegetable Stew - A note on the recipe
There's not much that can go wrong with this recipe, so it's a great one to start with if you're a new vegan or new to plant-based eating. Don't worry too much about chopping the vegetables into specific sizes - part of the beauty of the recipe is that you can have different sizes veggies and the stew will still cook well!
You also don't need to serve this stew with a side dish (unless you want to). As it contains both lentils and potatoes, you've got carbs and protein to keep you full and satisfied. The beauty of this recipe is that it should feel like a complete meal by itself. It's perfect for those nights where you just want to snuggle up with a bowl of something comforting!
Easy Vegetable Stew (vegan & gluten-free)
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 1 large stick of celery, diced
- 2 medium potatoes, chopped into 2cm cubes (about 3 heaped cups)
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1 tbsp ground dried sage
- 1½ tbsp ground dried rosemary
- 1 vegetable stock cube
- 1 cup uncooked red lentils (soaked for 2 hours if preferred)
- 4-5 cups water
- 3 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
- ½ tbsp Bragg's soy seasoning, or tamari (soy sauce)
- 1 cup dark leafy greens, like collards, kale or spinach (optional)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large saucepan with a lid, steam sauté the onion in a small amount of water for 5 minutes on a medium heat. If it begins to stick, just add a bit more water and keep stirring.
- Add the celery, potatoes, carrot, sage, rosemary, stock cube, lentils and water to the pan and bring to the boil.
- Reduce the heat and cook, covered, for 10 minutes, stirring now and then. The potato should be just tender.
- Add the broccoli and cook for a further 10 minutes (or until the lentils have become mush), stirring occasionally.
- Add the Bragg's, salt and pepper to taste, and the leafy greens. Cook for 3 more minutes, or until the greens have wilted.
- Serve immediately in bowls. (Also keeps well in the fridge for several days. Reheat when needed.)
Looking for more simple weeknight dinner ideas? Why not try my Quinoa Power Bowls, Vegan Butter Spice Tofu or my Warming Bean Chili.
Wondering where my stew pot is from? It's by Dansk and is one of my all-time favourite cooking pots!
Comments 10
Delicious idea!!
Author
Thank you! 🙂
It turned out awesome!!! I loved how the lentils turned the water into a perfect stew broth. So creamy. Thanks so much 😊
Author
That makes me so happy Stephanie, and thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. So glad you loved it! 🙂
Has anyone tried this in a slowcooker?
Author
I haven’t myself but have heard others say it works well in a slow cooker!
We ate the whole pot in one dinner 😋
Author
That’s amazing! It’s a bit addictive isn’t it? 🙂
Had dried peas In the cupboard so used them instead of the lentils and it didn’t come out so well, the broccoli is overcooked, wish I hand t cut them so small into “flowerets” it’s not as colourful and pretty as the one in your picture, tastes ok but a little too much sage.
Author
Hi Trish, sorry to hear you didn’t love it. Yes, dried peas cook very differently to lentils (they don’t go mushy in the same way) so I can imagine that would have made a big difference. Not sure why the broccoli ended up overcooked – after 10 mins it shouldn’t be! And yes, sage is one of the main flavourings so if you’re not a big fan I’d recommend going easier on it. 🙂